Some 2000 athletes from 15 countries participated in the recent King’s Cup Thailand Open Track and Field Championships at the Thammasat Rangsit Main Stadium held last week

Some of 110 gold medals was at stake in the the four-day event. Out of that lot, 42 gold medals was up for grabs in the open category. There was junior categories at stake too

Teams from Singapore, Taiwan, Brunei, China, Burma, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia plus home ground Thailand competed for the King’s Cup.

This is an ideal competition where most of the Most South East Asian nations are sending their SEA Games bound athletes. Some will be vying to beat their own respective country SEA Games qualifying mark, and some will be observing their rival’s progress.

There was some star performances during the four day meet

Malaysian’s long jumper Josbert Tinus, leapt to a record breaking 7.88 metres for the gold, thus also shattering the the Malaysian national record and the SEA Games record of 7.79m established 18 years ago in Jakarta.

Thailand sprint demon Wachara Sondee pipped his counterpart Sitthichai Suwornpratheep 10.38s to 10.49s respectively in the men’s 100m finals. Our Singapore young sprinter Calvin Kang managed a 10.62s timing, an encouraging time for the up and coming junior. In the process the 10.38s timing by Wachara, erased Vissanu Sophanich’s 10-year record in the King’s Cup Thailand Open Track and Field Championships of 10.52s

Phillipines managed to grab four gold medals. Their main gold haul was from Arneil Ferrera and Danilo Fresnido who both are defending SEA Games champion in the men’s hammer and javelin event respectively. They also found a new rising star in 400m runner Felicisimo Nierras who clocked 47.13 in the final. The son of a former Philippines long jump champion, Felicisimo has once clocked a quicker 400m timing of 47.05s this year. Soguilon, Philippines top sprinter who recently broke national record in the 100 and 200 meters this May in California is injured. This bodes well for other SEA Games nation who sees him a ‘threat’ and favourite aside from Thai’s Wachara Sondee

Sitthichai Suwornpratheep and Juthamas Thaworncharoen managed to defend their title in the 200m event. Sitthichai won the men’s 200m in style with a time of 21.22s while Juthamas in 23.77s for the women’s 200m . There were numerous excellent personal performances like Thai’s Tantipong in the men’s hammer throw, erasing previous mark of 52.74m to 54.28m and Nongnuch Saenrat who easily won the 100m women title in 11.91s

There was an upset of the local Thai dominance when a 1-2-3 finish in the 800m women was all foreigners. Burma’s Myint Myint Aye bettered Thailand’s Noodaeng Pimpho’s 13-year-old record of 2.10.83 minutes by running in 2.09.47.

There was also controversy when Narongdech Janjai of the Royal Thai Police set a new record in the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.82s but it was later not recognized as organizers claimed the starting blocks was not in placed properly

At the end of the four day, the Royal Thai Army and Royal Thai Air Force captured the men’s and women’s overall titles

Results

Men’s 100m
1) Wachara Sondee (THA) 10.38s
2) Sitthichai Suwornpratheep (THA) 10.49s
?) Calving Kang (SIN) 10.62s

Women’s 100m
1) Nongnuch Saenrat (THA) 11.91s

Men’s 110m Hurdles
1) Narongdech Janjai (THA) 13.82s

Men’s 200m
1) Sitthichai Suwornpratheep (THA) 21.22s

Women’s 200m
1) Juthamas Thaworncharoen (THA) 23.77s

Men’s 400m
1) Julius Nierras (PHI) 47.13s
?) Zaiful (MAS) 47.7
?) Subaish (SIN) 50.01

Women’s 400m Hurdles
1) Wasana Vinatho (THA)
2) Mary Grace Melgar (PHI) 1:01.86

Men’s 800m
1) Chen Fu-Pin (Taiwanese) 1.53.23

Women’s 800m
1) Myint Myint Aye (MYA) 2.09.47

Men’s 1500m
1) Chen Fu-Pin (Taiwanese) 3:55.00

Womens’ 1500m
1) Ni Ni Toe (MYA) 4:40.53

Men’s 3000m steeplechase
1) Wu Wen-Chien (Taiwanese)

Men’s 5km
1) Wu Wen-Chien (Taiwanese) 14:47.70
2) Boonthung Srisang

Women’s 5km
1) Phyu War Thet (MYA) 17:16.34

Men’s 10km
1) Boonthung Srisang (THA) 31:25.79

Women’s 10km walk
1) Marlar Nwe (MYA) 55:52.86
2) Kay Khine Myo Tun (MYA) 55:53.23

Men’s 4×100m
1) Thailand

Women’s 4×100m
1) Thailand (Do Win Club) 44.15s - Supawadee Khaopuek, Sangwan Jaksunil, Juthamas Thaworncharoen, Umpraporn Songkua

Men’s Triple Jump
1) Theerayuth Pilakong (THA) 15.82m

Women’s Triple Jump
1) Thitima Muangchan (THA) 13.21m

Men’s Longjump
1) Josbert Tinus (MAS) 7.88m

Women’s Longjump
1) Thitima Muangchan (THA) 6.09m

Men’s Highjump
1) Lee Hup Wei (MAS) 2.15m

Men’s Shotput
1) Chatchawal Polyiam (THA) 17.43m

Women’s Shotput
1) Juthaporn Krasaeyan (THA) 15.55m

Men’s Hammer
1) Arneil Ferrera (PHI) 59.57m
2) Tantipong (THA) 54.28m
3) Yongcharos (THA) 52.01m

Men’s Hammer
1) Buaban Pamang (PHI) 55.98m

Women’s Hammer
1) Leung Yee Mei (Hong Kong) 45.6m

Men’s Javelin
1) Danilo Fresnido (PHI) 70.27m

Women’s Javelin
2) Rosie Villarito (PHI) 49.32m

Men’s Decathlon
1) Boonket Salon (THA) 6,540 points

Women’s Heptathlon
1) Narcisa Atienza (PHI) 5,176 points

Women’s Polevault
1) Ni Putu Desy (THA) 3.8m